


to be alone with you

by stormss



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:29:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28776099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormss/pseuds/stormss
Summary: Carlos has spent so long being the one that others could go to—that everyone could rely on, no matter what—that when a bad day comes he doesn't know how to react. Thankfully, he has TK.*Carlos Reyes Week, Day 2:Romance + "I'll always be here for you."
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 19
Kudos: 186
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star ▶ Carlos Reyes / Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand, Carlos Reyes Week 2021





	to be alone with you

**Author's Note:**

> carlos reyes deserves to be loved and taken care of >> my only thoughts when writing this one. the title comes from the song of the same name by sufjan stevens. 
> 
> my [tumblr!](https://reyesstrand.tumblr.com/)

He knows—logically—that bad days are almost impossible to avoid. 

It comes with the job, it comes with _life._

He's learnt how to take it all in stride; how to leave things at the metaphorical front door because the thought of bringing his bad days into his personal life makes him feel worse about them. But when one creeps up on him after a series of bad calls where the presence of loss is heavy on everybody's minds, he finds himself unable to get out of his funk. Carlos knows it shows on his face—there's a perpetual crease between his brows, and no matter how many cups of coffee he downs, he can't escape the sense of exhaustion that crept in and now refuses to leave. He keeps seeing flashes of the long day, and imagines leaving it behind when he clocks out. 

He doesn't think that's possible. 

Carlos knows how it'll look if he avoids all the texts he's been getting through the day from his boyfriend; usually the messages bring a smile to his face, one that only ever seems to appear when it's something TK-related. But today, while he does feel warmed at the sight of his boyfriend's rambling and out-of-context stories and random string of emojis that he tacks onto every message, he doesn't find that it's enough to break him free of the monster that's seemingly latched onto his mind. 

When he gets home, though, he starts wishing that he'd paid closer attention to the texts. 

He opens the door to TK waiting for him on the couch—which, admittedly, is not that strange of an occurrence. What is abnormal, though, is the fact that TK's in full date-night attire: perfectly-fitting pants that reveal his ankles, one of his beloved printed button-ups where the cuffed sleeves strain against his biceps, nice shoes and his chain on display. He's scrolling through his phone when Carlos steps into the condo, but quickly tosses his phone to the side. It's evident he's about to say some sort of quip, his eyes flashing bright, when Carlos remembers the date. 

_Shit,_ he thinks, realizing all at once that tonight's supposed to be one of their more extravagant date nights; the kind that's pencilled into their plans in advance once they know that their schedules lend themselves to something more than take-out. And it's not like they go crazy—they usually grab a bite and wander around, maybe catching a movie before heading home and finding themselves in bed. Besides, they're content with each other and they could sit in a room with bad reality TV playing and have a good time, but it's these nights that really let them be as romantic as they desire.

That is, if only Carlos wasn't having such a bad day that he forgot about it altogether. 

"Babe?" TK's brows knit together in concern as he slowly gets to his feet. "Carlos, hey, are you okay?" 

"I—" Carlos rubs at the back of his neck, refusing to meet his boyfriend's eyes. He just can't get any words out, as if they're stuck deep in his chest. His eyes burn and he quickly looks away, focusing on a random spot on the wall behind TK's head.

"Sweetheart," TK murmurs, hands outstretched toward him but not making contact. "Can I touch you?" 

Carlos manages a nod, and it's all it takes for TK to gently frame his face between his palms. He leans into the touch, feeling comfort almost immediately. 

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" TK asks, his beautiful green eyes warm when Carlos finally meets them. 

"It was just a bad day, Ty," Carlos says, his voice dropped down low. His boyfriend's face contorts into one expressing his understanding, because he _gets it,_ of course he does. "I'm sorry, I don't want to bring you down." 

"Carlos Reyes," TK narrows his eyes at him, though his thumbs continue sweeping in gentle circles over his cheeks. "Don't you ever think that. I'll always be here for you. I'll always _want_ to be here for you. Now, come on."

"What—" Carlos starts, following without having to be told twice when TK starts tugging him by the hand toward the bathroom. 

"You're having a nice, comforting bath, while I order us dinner from that Thai place you love, along with _several_ pieces of pie from that diner downtown to splurge on later," TK says, squeezing past Carlos to dig through the cabinet, pulling out various bath bombs that he seems to have an affinity for, before deciding on one and pressing it into Carlos' palm. "And then I'm going to set us up to have a movie night." 

Before Carlos can get a word in edgewise, TK presses a kiss to his temple, then to his mouth. He feels a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, watching his boyfriend retreat out of the bathroom. He starts the water in the tub with a small sigh, and when he starts pulling off his uniform, he catches sight of TK in the mirror. With a wink, purely to make Carlos smile, he drops a stack of clothes and a towel next to the sink, before turning on his heel and heading back toward the living room. 

Carlos does enjoy the bath. The tension in his muscles seem to ooze out, and he almost falls asleep, the warm water lulling him into a sense of security. Eventually, though, he hears a knock at the front door and TK talking to someone—presumably the delivery person. His stomach grumbles, and so he heaves himself out of the tub and dresses in what TK brought him: comfortable sweats and a roomy hoodie. 

As he comes back out to the living room, he sees TK at the kitchen island, spooning out the food onto plates. His boyfriend smiles at him, his fond smile that only seems to come out when it's directed toward Carlos, and he takes pride in the warmth that swoops through his chest at the sight of it. 

He moves in close, then, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend because he simply can't stand for there to be another _second_ where he doesn't. 

TK hums at the contact, leaning back into the touch. Carlos sways them for a few moments, along to the soft melodies of the music playing from TK's phone. 

"Thank you," Carlos mumbles, right into TK's ear. "I needed this." 

"I'm glad, baby," TK says, reaching up to curl his hand around Carlos' forearm. 

"But I—I'm sorry about date night," Carlos finally admits, the last weight of the day sliding off his shoulders the moment he speaks. 

TK turns in his grasp, then, sliding one arm around Carlos' neck. "What do you mean? As far as I'm concerned, this _is_ date night." 

"Ty," Carlos sniffs, tugging weakly at his boyfriend's nice shirt. "You know what I mean. This isn't the romantic night out you were expecting. You _deserve_ romance." 

"And I get it with you, no matter where we are," TK tells him, eyes shining and earnest. His hand scratches lightly at the back of Carlos' neck, sending shivers down his spine. "There will be other dinner reservations, and other silly rom-coms. This is all I need, Carlos." 

Carlos exhales shakily, and presses their foreheads together. "I love you so much." 

"I love you too," TK replies, smiling wide at him like he always does when he says those words. "And Carlos? Don't feel like you have to tiptoe around me. You always drop everything for me and I—I want to take care of you, too." 

"You do," Carlos says, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head. "We take care of each other. It's like our thing." 

TK snorts, reluctantly stepping back to dig through the drawer for cutlery. Carlos watches him move, and figures that it might not be an extravagant dinner or flashy date, but it's perfect because it's _them._

And that's all they need. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! comments/kudos are always appreciated <33


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